Air lock arrangement



Jan. 23, 1968 R. J. BOYLAN ET AL 3,3

AIR LOCK ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 4, 1965 INVENTORS fioberf 50 /an BY QJWQQMM Jan. 23, 1968 RQJ BOYLAN ET AL 3,364,836

AIR LOCK ARRANGEMENT Filed June 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,364,836 AH. LOCK ARRANGEMENT Robert J. Boylan, Alan E. Revel], and Edward J. Fortener,

Louisville, Ky., assignors to American Air Filter Company, Inc, Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 4, 1965, Ser. No. 461,452 9 Claims. (Cl. 98-1) The present invention relates to an improved personnel entry arrangement for a protective plenum chamber and more particularly to an improved air lock construction which permits entry and exit of personnel into a protective chamber without introduction of ambient contaminants into such chamber.

In accordance with the present invention, a straightforward and economical air lock construction for a protective plenum is provided which permits protection of personnel during residence in the air lock and subsequently permits maximum space in the protective plenum during occupancy thereof. Further, the present invention provides an air lock arrangement which can be readily and economically exhausted of contaminants which might have entered into the air lock during the residence period. In addition, the present invention provides a novel arrangement wherein the same air lock construction can be readily converted from one position to another with a minimum of operations and with a minimum of moving parts.

Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure set forth hereinafter.

More particularly the present invention provides an air lock arrangement for a personnel plenum having a personnel access inlet comprising: a longitudinally extending air lock housing having a closable personnel inlet at one end thereof and a closable personnel outlet at the opposite end thereof, the air lock housing disposed within the the plenum with the personnel inlet end connected in communicatively sealed relation to the personnel access inlet of the plenum, and means to collapse and expand the air lock housing along the longitudinal axis thereof in accordion-like fashion whereby the air lock can be expanded during personnel residence therein and collapsed within the plenum after personnel have exited into the plenum. In addition, the present invention provides an air lock housing having a contaminant outlet arrangement which communicates with the exterior of the protected plenum and valve means cooperating with the contaminant outlet arrangement to open the outlet during collapse of the air lock to permit exhaust of contaminants from within the lock. Further, the present invention provides an air loci: arrangement of tapered configuration which can be readily reversed in an inside-out fashion for selective positioning of the air lock.

It is to be understood that various changes can be made in the ararngement, form and construction of the apparatus disclosed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings which disclose one advantageous embodiment of the present invention incorporated in a military personnel vehicle:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic side view of the novel convertible air lock in fully extended internal position;

FIGURE 2 is a View similar to FIGURE 1 showing the air lock in partially-collapsed internal position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the air lock in partially-extended external position;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 showing the air lock in fully-extended external position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged, cross-sectional eevational view of the contaminant outlet arrangement for the air lock of FIGURES l to 4;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional horizontal view taken in a plane passing through line 6-6 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the contaminant outlet ararngement of FIGURE 5, showing the contaminant outlet in fully open extended position;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 showing the contaminant outlet in collapsed position; and

FIGURE 9 is a view similar to FIGURE '7 with the contaminant outlet in collapsed and covered position.

As can be seen in FIGURES 1 to 4 of the drawing, the novel air lock construction can be incorporated in a protective plenum in the form of an armored military personnel transport vehicle 2. Vehicle 2 is provided with a personnel access inlet 3 at the rear portion thereof. Disposed within plenum of vehicle 2 is the longitudinallyextending personnel air lock housing 4, this housing having a covered personnel inlet end 6 and a covered personnel outlet end 7. It is to be understood that inlet end 6 and outlet end 7 of housing 4 can be covered by any one of a number of known movable, swing-type flap doors (not shown) which permit ready entry into and exit from the air lock housing. The air lock housing 4 can be made of a suitable contaminant impervious flexible fabric and, advantageously, a nylon woven fabric coated with butyl rubber can be used. As can be more readily seen in FIG- URE 1 of the drawings, air lock housing 4 is of tapered configuration with the reduced portion thereof adjacent personnel outlet end 7. The larger personnel inlet end 6 is fastened to a sock-like member 8 of similar fabric material as air lock housing 4, the sock-like fabric member 8 extending in sealed relation around personnel access inlet 3 of vehicle 2 so that the personnel inlet end 6 of air lock housing 4 is connected in communicatively sealed relation to the personnel access inlet 3 of the plenum of military vehicle 2. It is to be noted that air lock housing 4 (FIGURE 4) is provided with a set of rigid, peripheral frame members 11, the frame members of the set being of successively smaller perimeter and fastened by sewing or some other suitable means in spaced relationship along the fiexible wall of the housing. The frame members can be made of a suitably rigid material such as wire and, as disclosed in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, are fastened to the inner wall of the housing by means of flaps 12.

To support housing 4 within the protective plenum of vehicle 2, guide support rails 13 are suspended from the roof of the vehicle and tie strings 14, which are connected to the top of air lock housing 4 adjacent each of the corners of frames 11 are loosely and slidably suspended on these guide rails. It is to be noted that air lock housing 4 is provided with a contaminant outlet conduit assembly 21 adjacent covered personnel inlet 6. Referring to FIGURES 5 to 9 of the drawings, it can be seen that assembly 21 includes contaminant outlet conduit 22 of flexible material connected to air lock housing 4. Conduit 22 tapers outwardly away from the housing and includes a plurality of successively enlarged rigid frame members 23 fastened along the periphery of the flexible walls of the conduit in spaced movable relationship, comparable to the manner in which frame members 11 are fastened to housing 4 to permit expansion of the flexible conduit along the longitudinal axis thereof from collapsed position for connection to the exterior of personnel plenum 2. A suitable pressure-responsive valve 24 (schematically shown) is provided in air lock housing 4 cooperating with contaminant conduit 22, this pressure-responsive valve being normally closed and capable of opening when the 0 pressure in the air lock exceeds a certain preselected rate.

As can be seen in FIGURE 5 of the drawings, contaminant outlet assembly 21 which includes collapsible cona duit 22 constitutes part of vehicle 2, serving as a clean air inlet and filtering system for vehicle 2. In this connection, inlet and outlet passages 27 and 28 respectively of assembly 21 are adjacent each other and are separated by vertical gas impervious partition 29. A mushroom-like fall-out hood 30 is provided to cover both the inlet passage 27 and outlet passage 28. Inlet passage 27 communicates with inlet apertures 32 (FIGURE 6). As can be seen by following the arrows of FIGURE 5, the ambient air is moved through apertures 32 and inlet passage 27 by means of a motor-driven blower 33 through a conduit 34 leading from blower 33 into a filter system 36. From the filter system 36 the air passes through clean air outlet 37 into the protective plenum of the vehicle 2. The filter se is provided with a secondary air outlet conduit 38 which passes through the outlet end 23 of assembly 21 and leads to the ambient surroundings of the plenum 2. It is who noted that outlet passage 28 is connected by means of conduit 39 to contaminant conduit 22.

In a typical operation of the system, air is introduced into the protected plenum of vehicle 2 by blowers 33 and is maintained in the van at a certain preselected pressure by valve 41 in the personnel exit cover 7 of covered air lock housing 4. At the same time, valve 41 and valve 24 of air lock housing 4 maintains the pressure within the air lock at a preselected level below the level of that in the chamber of vehicle 2, the air lock housing 4 being restrained from collapse due to the pressure differential between the outside and inside thereof by means of restraining cord 45 connected to housing 4 and tied to guide rails 13. When personnel inlet door 6 of housing 4 is open, the pressure in the air lock housing goes to zero. Door 6 is then closed and the pressure in air lock housing 4 returns to the preselected level maintained by valves 41 and 24. When air locking housing outlet 7 is open to permit personnel to pass to the plenum of vehicle 2, the air locl; housing 4 pressure rises to the preselected level of protective plenum 2, but when door 7 is closed, the pressure in air lock housing 4 falls below that of plenum of vehicle 2. At that juncture, tie cord 45 is released and since the pressure in plenum of vehicle '2 is greater than the pressure in air lock housing 4-, the air lock housing 4 collapses in accordion-like fashion. As housing 4 collapses, the pressure therein builds up, and valve 24 in the contaminant outlet conduit opens to exhaust the contaminants from the housing. The collapsed housing can then be pulled open by personnel Within plenum 2 or pushed open by additional personnel who enter into the purged air lock housing 4.

It is to be noted that if air lock housing 4 is to be used on the exterior of the vehicle 2, the contaminant outlet conduit 22 is disassembled from assembly 21 and collapsed in a manner as shown in FIGURES 7-9. Suitable covers 47 and 48 are then extended from rolled form over the collapsed conduit and under the collapsed conduit'in a manner as shown in FIGURE 9, and the air lock housing 4 turned inside-out so that the successively narrower frame members 11 pass within the larger frame members in the manner of turning a sock inside-out.

From the foregoing, it can be readily seen that a novel and straightforward air lock arrangement is provided for a protective vehicle plenum which can be readily constructed and maintained, which permits maximum space within the plenum when not in use and which can be readily converted for exterior use when desired.

The invention claimed is: p

1. An air lock arrangement for a personnel plenum having a personnel access inlet comprising: a longitudinally extending air lock housing having a closable personnel inlet atone end thereof and a closable personnel outlet at the opposite end thereof, said air locking housing being completely disposable within said plenum with said personnel inlet end connected in communicatively.

sealed relation to said personnel access inlet of said plenum, and means to collapse and expand said air lock 4. housing along the longitudinal axis thereof in accordionlike fashion within said plenum whereby said air lock can be expanded during personnel residence therein and collapsed within said plenum after personnel have exited into said plenum.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, said air lock housing being of tapered configuration with the reduced portion thereof adjacent said personnel outlet end whereby said housing can be turned inside out to position said airlock exterior of said plenum with said personnel outlet end serving as the personnel inlet end and said personnel inlet serving as the personnel outlet end.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 and guide means mounted in said personnel plenum for said air lock housing as said housing is expanded and collapsed.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, said air lock housing having contaminant outlet means communicating with the exterior of said plenum, and valve means cooperating with said contaminant outlet means to open said outlet means during collapse of said air lock to permit the exhaust of contaminants from within said lock.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, said valve means maintaining the pressure within said plenum above said air lock housing when said air lock housing is closed, and means to restrain said housing from collapsing because of such pressure differential.

6. An air lock arrangement for a personnel plenum having a personnel access inlet comprising: a longitudinally extending air lock housing of a flexible fabric material having a closable personnel inlet at one end thereof and a closable personnel outlet at the opposite end thereof, said air lock housing disposed within said plenum with said personnel inlet end connected in communicatively sealed relation to said personnel inlet of said plenum, said air lock housing including a plurality of rigid peripheral frame members fastened along the periphery of the flexible walls of said housing in spaced movable relation to permit collapse and expansion of said air lock housing along the longitudinal axis thereof in accordion-like fashion whereby said air lock can be expanded during personnel residence therein and collapsed within said plenum after personnel have exited into said plenum.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, and further including longitudinally extending guide rail means suspended from said personnel plenum and means to suspend said air lock housing therefrom for slidable accordion-like expansion and compression.

8. The apparatus of claim 7,.said'air lock housing having a contaminant outlet conduit of flexible fabric material, said conduit including a plurality of rigid frame members fastened along the periphery of the flexible walls of said conduit in spaced movable relation to permit expansion of said flexible conduit along the longitudinal axis thereof from collapsed position for connection to the ex terior of said personnel plenum, and valve means co operating with said contaminant outlet conduit to open said conduit during collapse of saidiair lock to permit exhaust of contaminants from within said lock.

said personnel inlet end connected in communicatively.

sealed relation to said personnel access inlet of said plenum, said air lock housing being of tapered configuration with the reduced portion thereof adjacent said personnel outlet end and including a plurality of rigid frame members having successively smaller perimeters so as 'to be fastened along the periphery .of the flexible walls of said housing in spaced movable relation to permit said housing to be turned inside-out to position said airlock exterior of said housing when desired, rail means sus-' pended from said personnel plenum and means to 'suspend said air lock housing therefrom for slidable accordion-like expansion and compression, a contaminant outlet conduit of flexible fabric material connected to said air lock housing, said flexible conduit tapering outward away from said housing and including a plurality of 5 successively reduced rigid frame members fastened along the periphery of the flexible walls of said conduit in spaced movable relation to permit expansion of said flexible conduit along the longitudinal axis thereof from collapsed position for connection to the exterior of said personnel plenum, and valve means cooperating with said contaminant outlet conduit to open said conduit during col- 6 lapse of said air lock to permit exhaust of contaminants from Within said lock.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,061,329 11/1936 Reilly 62237 X 3,160,896 12/1964 Smith 98-1.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,148,468 5/1963 Germany.

MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN AIR LOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR A PERSONNEL PLENUM HAVING A PERSONNEL ACCESS INLET COMPRISING: A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING AIR LOCK HOUSING HAVING A CLOSABLE PERSONNEL INLET AT ONE END THEREOF AND A CLOSABLE PERSONNEL OUTLET AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF, SAID AIR LOCKING HOUSING BEING COMPLETELY DISPOSABLE WITHIN SAID PLENUM WITH SAID PERSONNEL INLET END CONNECTED IN COMMUNICATIVELY SEALED RELATION TO SAID PERSONNEL ACCESS INLET OF SAID PLENUM, AND MEANS TO COLLAPSE AND EXPAND SIAD AIR LOCK HOUSING ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS THEREOF IN ACCORDIONLIKE FASHION WITHIN SAID PLENUM WHEREBY SAID AIR LOCK CAN BE EXPANDED DURING PERSONNEL RESIDENCE THEREIN AND COLLAPSED WITHIN SAID PLENUM AFTER PERSONNEL HAVING EXITED INTO SAID PLENUM. 